CHAPTER 12 continuation

"Smith,to the bench.You will remain there until I  say so.You know too well that I don't tolerate violence,"he said sternly.

 "But coach,it wasn't intentional!" 

Carly easily guessed what had happened.Two rivals,one of them fuming with anger and the other one's face contorted with pain.

 "Cut the bullshit!I'm sure even Miss McAdam could see the bile rising from you even from her sitting position," the coach replied."Lewis,take a break until the next practice." He then instructed two other girls who had been sitting nearby to join the team to take the two spots for the day.

Instead of heading to the bench near the basket ball pitch,Dylan headed straight to the opposite side, towards her.She looked back to her book and pretended to read which she hadn't been doing over the past few minutes while she was busy studying her features.

 "Has reading in the gym become a thing now?" Dylan asked smiling.

 "Just trying to make it my thing," Carly answered looking up from the book.

 "Carly,right?" Dylan continued.

 "Yeah,am I popular or what?" Carly teased but was not really surprised that the other girl knew her.Not everyone missed 'the twins with similar names' as everyone called her and her brother Carl.

 "I think you are.The looks gave you away,"Dylan said then added,"I'm  Dylan,new kid in town.And in school," she added laughing

 "I know.How is that going,I can see you are already making enemies," she said glancing to the other side of the gym.

Dylan laughed,"Yeah well,the road to greatness has many of those."

Carly raised her eyebrows,"You want to be captain?"

 "Yeah.I know it's still early but it will be good for my college application."

 "Then,I'll say go for it."

 "It will be tough since I'm the new kid and it's only my first week.I don't know," Dylan said and settled beside her.

 "Please don't back out.Trust me that's what Alison Smith wants and she is so not good for the team.You on the other hand,well,I don't know you but you seem way better qualified than her."

Dylan looked at her questioningly."Have you been studying me?"

 "No," Carly said defensively and looked away in embarrassment.She didn't know how that had come out.When she looked up,she found Dylan still looking at her.From up close,she was even more beautiful.Now that her hair was held up,she noticed the eyes,so blue and expressive.And that did her a great deal because suddenly she felt like she wanted to keep staring into them forever.She had never felt like this until now at sixteen years old.To make matters even more challenging,this was a girl she was beginning to feel this way about.Something that had never happened with a guy.There were guys,some even blue eyed who had shown interest in her but she had turned them down.None of them had the appeal she craved for and so it confused her to feel what she always thought she would feel for a guy,sitting here with this new girl.Had she been a lesbian all along and just didn't know? She shook her head pushing the thoughts away and gave in,"Yeah,maybe."

 "Well,thank you for the encouragement," she offered her hand with a smile."It's nice to meet you Lee." Her hand was surprisingly very soft but very electric sending a shiver through her body.She pulled her hand away and crossed both of them across her chest protectively.Yeah,she was definitely in trouble.

 "Lee?" she asked,eyebrows raised.

 "I'm sorry,I didn't mean to..."

 "No it's cool," Carly said, "This might sound stupid but I kinda have been wanting to change my name."

  "Why,you hate Carly?"

 "I mean,Carl and Carly.It's stupid."

 "No,it's not.I think you hate your brother."

 "I don't hate him.We just don't get along."

 "Well,that explains it.Anyway I should get going and let you get back to your book."

 "I actually have cheer practice which starts just about now,so." She was about to ask her to stay until after practice so they could talk more but caught herself.Things were escalating and this was a  thing she wasn't even sure she wanted to keep feeling.

 "By the way you don't strike me as a cheerleader."

Carly looked at her in surprise and decided to tease her,"Are you saying that I am ugly?"

 "Oh God no!Nothing like that," Dylan replied with a blush. "You just don't seem bitchy like other cheerleaders do."

 "Oh,I wouldn't be so sure about that.Trust me,I'm no better."

 "I don't believe that," she said smiling then turned to leave."See you around Lee."

And Lee had been created that day.As Carly sat there staring after Dylan who now walked like she had a spring in her feet,she knew that her life was about to take a turn and she had no idea what kind of turn it would be.

                            *****

  That evening while Dylan walked towards where her mother was waiting,she had a smile on her face going through her conversation she'd had with Carly.It was the first time they had interacted and it had gone well.She meant it when she had said that Carly didn't look like a cheerleader.She was too nice  to be one especially compared to Emily.All through practice,she had kept looking up towards where she had been sitting reading a book.Once or twice she had found her staring at her and each time Carly had pretended to continue reading her book.Not once had she let their eyes meet and Dylan  wanted that so bad.That was why she had walked up to her encouraged by the fact that Carly too seemed curious about her which was confirmed in their conversation.She hadn't wanted to leave so soon but she didn't know how to stall so she had left but hoped they would talk again soon.

 "Hi mom!" she greeted cheerfully when she got inside the car.

 "Oh hey," her mother replied and observed her keenly.It was the first time in the whole week she was acting  cheerful. "What happened?Are you just excited because it's the weekend or what?"

 "I think I just made a friend and I think she is really nice."

Wendy laughed,"Well,good for you.But honestly,I actually thought that your first friend would be a boy."

 Dylan frowned,"Why would you think that?"

 "For one,I don't know what's with you and girl friends.They don't stay around like the guys do.Do you know that I used to fight you while you were little because whenever there was a sleepover you were like," she quoted, "Only boys allowed,girls keep out."

Dylan laughed,"Oh my God that's so embarrassing!But boys are always nicer and not complicated to be around.They don't have much drama like girls do."

 "I swear you are the complete opposite of all the girls I know.And to add the fact that none of them was your boyfriend." her mother said.

Dylan's heart jumped.Was her mother asking or insinuating something.She decided to just smile and look away.Of course her mother didn't know that the only girl she could get along with was the one she was attracted to.Like in this case,Carly's image came to her mind.In all honesty,the girl was attractive.She had brown eyes,very attractive brown eyes which brought out all her beauty especially with some of the loose strands of hair she let fall over her face.Then there was her smile that lit up her whole face and which made her feel so warm and like she was where she was supposed to be.Then their hands had met for brief seconds but they were enough for her body to react in away she had loved so much.Her heart had gone thumping wildly and her face had felt suddenly hot.It had been short lived because Carly had pulled her hand away too quickly.Had she seen the change on her face or had she felt something too?For her,it had been a wonderful moment and so yeah,she was attracted to her and she didn't think she would fight it this time.She turned back to her mother but she wasn't about to confess everything that was on her mind.

 "Things change,it's all I can say.Maybe me making a lady friend is one of those changes."

Her mother shrugged,"Alright,as long as you are happy and fitting in.How was practice by the way?" she asked as she started the car.

 "I was punched with a ball intentionally but I think it's because the coach is beginning to like me so,that doesn't matter."

 "There is my star." They both smiled as they drove off.

                                          *****

When Carly finally settled at the end of the day,she allowed herself to think about the events of the whole week.A week that had come with the new girl who was changing her.Maybe what she had felt earlier when their hands touched confused her but if she was speaking the truth,it did feel strange but she had liked it.The only thing that made her pull her hand away  quickly was because she didn't want Dylan to notice any reaction on her body or feel the tension that had suddenly caught her during the contact.She didn't want her  to judge her.But then,had she seen her face turn red at that exact same moment? She smiled.It was interesting to know that probably Dylan had felt the same.

So as she sat in the car as her brother drove,all she could think of was Dylan.She had her face towards the outside.Not that he could have noticed anything on her face even if she had been facing forward.He was busy concentrating on the road so he would get them home and each hide out in their rooms and avoid each other until the next school day where they would be forced to sit here again,together.At first it had been hard  but she had gotten used to them ignoring each other.So she was as well able to suppress he urge to talk to him about Dylan,to know what he thought about her.Those were the kind of things that siblings did everyday but not them.She could have told him what had happened earlier in the gym since ever since they were little,they talked to each other about everything but their situation now didn't allow her.Because if they were not ignoring each other,they would be arguing.And who knew that her saying she might be attracted to girls wouldn't bring up an even bigger argument or even total hatred. She decided to seal her mouth and face the battle alone. 

She had no close friends she could have turned to.Her mother was all about being  a perfect cheerleader with perfect grades and date the most handsome guy from either the  soccer  or football team.Telling her about the complete opposite of that would break all hell loose.She decided to keep a low profile until she sorted things out with herself.And that's what she did.She was the first one to go into the house as always since Carl had to park the car properly first.She threw her bag on the floor and headed to the fridge.She opened then closed without taking a thing then opened a cabinet in the kitchen.

 "Carly,is it so hard to take the bag upstairs to your room then come back and do whatever else you want after?" She heard her mom calling from the sitting room and rolled her eyes.

 "Good afternoon mom,how was your day?Mine was awesome even though you didn't ask," she replied and settled on the same couch with a packet of crisps.

 "I was about to ask but your carelessness got to me first."

 "It is just for a second.I'm taking it."

 "So,your day was awesome.What happened,did you finally find a boyfriend?"

Carly sighed heavily,"Mom,I am not getting a boyfriend anytime soon.So just keep your hopes down." She  rose up and collected her bag then began heading upstairs.

 "Trust me mom,she is so stuck up to date.I wouldn't wish any of my friends that torture."  That was Carl and at this point,she wasn't sure if he was joking or not.She thought of raising her middle finger to him but decided against it. "Shut up Carl," she said without turning around and left them.

When she got to her room,she dumped her bag and laid on her bed.It would be a long weekend and she couldn't wait for it to be over.Better still,she couldn't wait to see Dylan again.